1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to recreational games and, more particularly, to games that include a board and a plurality of movable pieces.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many board games are on the market which share a common deficiency. The pieces placed on the game board are easily displaced from their desired game board positions. If a game board is inadvertently jostled, the pieces can be displaced so as to completely disturb the status and progress of the game. In this respect, it would be desirable if a board game were provided with game pieces that were not readily displaced from game board positions if the board is jostled.
There are board games which include magnetic boards and magnetic pieces. The attraction between the magnetic board and the magnetic pieces may be sufficient to prevent the pieces from being displaced from the board when the board is tilted slightly or lightly jostled, however such magnetic attraction is generally insufficient to withstand a relatively strong jostle. In this respect, it would be desirable if a board game were provided with game pieces that were more securely attached to a game board than by a magnetic attraction between the pieces and the board.
A game, though not a board game, that has enduring popularity through the years is the game of tic-tat-toe. In this game, a win takes place when either three "X's" or three "O's" are arranged in a straight line. In view of the popularity of tic-tat-toe, it would be desirable if a board game were provided with game pieces wherein the object of the game is to arrayed three pieces of one kind in a straight line.
There are games which include game boards that include wells for receiving pegs. With such games, each of the wells is independent of the other wells. Therefore, to move a peg from one well to another well, the peg must be lifted out of one well, carried to the other well, and placed within the other well. When the peg is lifted out, it may be dropped or lost. In this respect, it would be desirable if a board game were provided with a board that included wells for receiving game pieces and that included means for moving the game pieces from one well to another without lifting and carrying the pieces.
Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to games that include wells and pieces that fit into the wells, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,693,976; 4,111,418; 4,239,230; 4,522,408; and 5,069,458. More specifically, all of the above-cited patents disclose games in which wells and pegs are employed and in which pegs must be lifted out of one well and carried to another well in order to place the peg in the other well.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use board games having game pieces attracted to or connected to the game board, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a game apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) provides game pieces that are not readily displaced from game board positions if the board is jostled; (2) provides game pieces that are more securely attached to a game board than by a magnetic attraction between magnetic game pieces and a magnetic game board; (3) provides a board game wherein the object of the game is to array three game pieces of one kind in a straight line; and (4) provides a game board that includes wells for receiving game pieces and that includes means for moving the game pieces from one well to another without lifting and carrying the pieces. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique captive-track game apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.